India, Jan. 20 -- The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has flagged serious and widespread failures in the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR.

The commission noted shortfalls ranging from 7 per cent to as high as 99.6 per cent during periods of 'Severe' and 'Severe+' air quality. A performance review of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) shows that key pollution-control actions were either poorly executed or not implemented at all during critical Stage-III and Stage-IV GRAP periods.

The review, based on daily monitoring by CAQM's GRAP Monitoring Control Room, also found alarmingly high pendency of public complaints, with 47 per cent to...